April 03, 2012
Last month, 12 St. John’s law students traveled to Washington, D.C.
to attend oral argument and meet with Justice Clarence Thomas at
the U.S. Supreme Court and to visit with Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Chair Jacqueline Berrien. Inaugurated
in 2011, the trip was again coordinated and led this year by
Professor
Janai S. Nelson, along with Professor
Leonard M. Baynes. Experiential learning is a cornerstone of
legal education at the Law School. Amanda Jaret ’13 and Courtney
Morgan ‘13, two of the students selected for the trip by faculty
committee, reflect here on this very special opportunity to learn
about law, advocacy and public service in their highest
forms:
Visiting the Supreme Court was one of the most rewarding
experiences we have had at St. John’s. We had the opportunity to
hear oral arguments in two cases presented by highly experienced
attorneys. As the Justices posed question after question, the
lawyers’ composure, skill and preparation were put to the test,
giving us unique insight into the practice of law in this prominent
forum. Following the arguments, we toured the Supreme Court
building and learned about its history. This tour was not only
informative, but also provided an intimate look at a revered
building where monumental law has been made.
After the tour, the group from St. John’s met with Justice Clarence
Thomas, which was exciting and inspirational. He surprised us all
with his candor and kind words. He spoke about his childhood and
traced the trajectory of his career. He offered us advice about the
value of hard work and careful planning, but also emphasized the
need to seize unexpected opportunities when they arise. Justice
Thomas urged us to view the highest echelons of the legal
profession as well within our reach, saying the only difference
between us and the attorneys that argued before the Court earlier
that morning was that they have learned more. He was extremely
generous with his time and answered all of our questions candidly,
even making a March Madness reference about underdogs beating the
top seeded teams. He was gracious about posing for photographs with
each student and asked us each about our backgrounds. As our
classmate Tom Hughes ‘13 reflected, “To have such an open and
honest conversation with a Supreme Court Justice was pretty
amazing. It gave me a more real perspective of and some very
valuable insight into an institution that can seem almost mythical
after the first year of law school.”
Our Washington, D.C. experience continued with a visit to the EEOC.
Chair Jacqueline Berrien and her staff where they spoke with us
about the EEOC’s latest initiatives and goals. They described the
process the EEOC uses to resolve complaints and disputes arising
under one of the many statutes the agency administers. Chair
Berrien illustrated how multifaceted her work at the agency can be
by outlining a typical “week in the life” that involved travel,
internal management and interfacing with other government agencies
to produce a united front. Our hosts also highlighted the
increasing number of complaints the agency has been receiving
recently. It was fascinating to hear how passionate the Chair is
about the agency’s work and her descriptions of how the EEOC
intersects with the broader movement for workers’ rights and civil
rights.
We will carry this amazing experience with us as we continue our
studies at St. John’s and chart our paths to the legal
profession.